The iPhone maker will consider environment, social and governance (ESG) factors that could increase or decrease executive cash bonuses by up to 10 per cent. Apple did not say how it would evaluate executives’ behaviour based on the company’s ESG values. (The Logic)

Talking point: The new policy follows pressure from shareholders who put forward a proposal last year to assess “the feasibility of integrating sustainability metrics into performance measures, performance goals or vesting conditions that may apply to senior executives under the Company’s compensation incentive plans.” Shareholders ultimately voted against the proposal, on Apple’s recommendation. The new measure could help pacify the concerns that motivated the proposal, but on the company’s own terms. The policy puts Apple ahead of many tech firms, though some have started linking incentive pay to ESG. An analysis from Sustainalytics found that nine per cent of companies on the FTSE All-World index, which tracks more than 3,000 firms, tie executive pay to ESG factors, focusing predominantly on occupational health and safety issues.